My First Dragon
by NeonDomino
Summary: Charlie Weasley's first Dragon, which led him to his career as a Dragonologist at the Dragon Reserve in Romania. Teenage Charlie.


**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - **Muggle Studies: Assignment Three -Rock Climbing: Write about Charlie Weasley.

**The Hunger Games Trilogy Challenge/Competition**. Someone witnessing something that affects the rest of their life.

**Hogwarts fair 2014 competition -** Guess the name of the Dragon - **Elijah Fleming**

**Disney Character Competition - **Baloo - Write about Charlie Weasley

**The Harry Potter Chapter Competition** - The Philosopher's Stone - Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback

**Wand Wood Challenge** - Acacia - Write about a minor character

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><p>"I didn't know what to tell her? Mum wants me to work for the Ministry, but I can't picture myself in an office," Charlie complained.<p>

"Well, don't work for them. Simple," Nymphadora Tonks replied.

"But unless I actually tell her what I do want to do, she'll keep on at me, pushing me to choose subjects that'll get me in at the Ministry. Before you know it, I'll be fifty, and stuck there with no other choice."

"Is that why you came here?" She asked. "To visit my family with me?"

"Yeah, I just needed to get away and think," Charlie replied. "Plus, your parents invited me... now what forest is this?"

"Galloway Forest Park," Nymphadora replied.

"Great. You finished eating?" He asked. Nymphadora nodded.

"Lets explore," Charlie said, stuffing the rubbish back into his rucksack.

**...oOo...**

"Charlie, where are you? I can't find you?" Nymphadora shouted, and Charlie kept still behind the tree. As her shouting faded slightly, he carefully and slowly moved through the forest, following her, barely keeping her in sight. He paid so much attention to her, that he didn't see the egg until he fell over it.

She quickly rushed over, having heard him trip, but he was only focusing on the egg.

"What egg is it?"

Charlie's fingers ran over the egg. "I think..." He carefully lifted it. "I think it might be a Dragon's egg."

Nymphadora looked around in concern. "Leave it alone," she hissed. "The mother will come looking for it."

He shook his head. "Sorry, no can do," he replied. "It might have been abandoned. We've been here for hours, and not a sign of a Dragon, and the mother wouldn't just leave her egg laying around. Chances are the Ministry took the mother away, not knowing about the egg."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I guess I'll turn it over to one of the reserves. Good thing we're going home later," he said. He opened his rucksack, pulling the food from their picnic out, and placing the egg inside.

**...oOo...**

Charlie studied the book page after page, watching the pictures of the Dragon. As the fire started to go out, he used his wand to make it hotter, hoping to keep the egg warm enough. Satisfied that the egg was in the right heat, he turned back to the book. "Hebridean Black," he read aloud, turning onto the next chapter.

Charlie's gaze focused on the picture of the Dragon, as it breathed fire. It was beautiful. It fascinated him more than the Unicorns he had seen in class a few weeks prior. He wondered how the Wizards on the reserves managed to raise Dragons. He wondered how hard it would be. He glanced at the egg in the book, and looked at the egg in the fire. They were the same. He smiled as he eagerly read about the Dragon.

**...oOo...**

He meant to bring the egg to the Ministry, and he couldn't work out why he didn't. It was all worth it when the day came for the Dragon to hatch. They watched in amazement as the egg cracked, and him and Nymphadora watched a tiny Dragon's head poke out, its eyes not yet purple, and its scales still soft. The spiked tail wasn't prominent yet, but Charlie had read enough to know that it would appear at around two years old.

The Dragon was beautiful.

"What should we call him?" He whispered, reaching for the Dragon, and moving his hand away with a chuckle as the Dragon tried to nip him.

"Chunky," Nymphadora responded. "I think he looks like a Chunky."

**...oOo...**

"Charlie, Bill," Arthur said, looking between his two sons. "It has come to my attention that we're running out of whisky. Now, I'm not pointing fingers, and I know boys will be boys, but it's a lot of whiskey disappearing at a fast rate. If the Whiskey keeps going missing, I'll have to look into this properly. Do you understand?"

"Arthur, that's not -"

"Molly please," he said, quietly. "I think it's best to allow the boys to confess in their own time, I'll be disappointed if neither of you step forward, but for now I want this to stop. I've been young myself, and snuck the occasional drink at your ages, but far too much has disappeared."

"Yes dad," the boys both said, and when Arthur dismissed them, Charlie snuck to the shed.

As he reached for the door, Bill grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you doing with it all?" He asked, and Charlie pushed his hand away. "It wasn't me."

"It had to be you. It wasn't me, it certainly wasn't Percy. Mum and Dad wouldn't be asking if it was them. You're the only one left." His anger faded, replaced by a concerned look. "You don't drink it all, do you?"

Charlie quickly shook his head. "I promise, I don't drink whiskey."

**...oOo...**

"The shed's on fire," Molly screamed, and the family rushed outside. The four of them doused the shed with water, and Charlie rushed in once the fire was out, checking that Chunky was alright. Arthur followed him in.

"It's not safe in..." he began, until his eyes fell on the Dragon. "Charlie, please tell me that's not a real Dragon?"

Charlie clutched the Dragon, as it turned its head, attempting to nip at his fingers. "He couldn't breathe fire before today. He shouldn't be able to until he's six months, I didn't know it was going to happen," he quickly said.

"Where did you get the Dragon?" Arthur asked, leading the way from the shed, where Molly and Bill's mouth dropped open at the sight of Chunky.

"Me and Tonks found the egg when I went with her to visit her muggle family in Scotland," Charlie said.

"Well, that explains where the Whiskey went," Bill added.

**...oOo...**

Charlie fed Chunky as they waited for the Dragonologists to arrive. Arthur stayed close to make sure Chunky didn't do anything unexpected, and Molly stayed at a distance with the rest of the children, who were watching in awe at the baby dragon.

Finally the wards went off, and Bill headed out to greet them, leading them to the garden.

One of the two men approached Arthur, and led him away, talking to him, and the other man crouched nearby Chunky and Charlie, watching him handle the Dragon.

"You're pretty good at that," the man commented after a few minutes. "How did you pick it all up?"

"I read it," Charlie replied, keeping his eyes on the Dragon.

"What's your name?" The man asked.

"I'm Charlie Weasley," Charlie replied.

"Well, I'm Elijah Fleming. I'll be taking over. I'll be bringing your Dragon to the reserve in Romania."

"Chunky. His name is Chunky."

Elijah chuckled. "I don't think we've had one called Chunky before."

"My friend named him," Charlie replied. "Am I allowed to come and visit him?"

Elijah sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. You have to be licenced to be on the reserve, I'm afraid."

The tiniest bit of hope that remained on Charlie's face dropped.

"But you have a natural way with them, have you ever considered becoming a Dragonologist?"

"What?" Charlie asked, his head shooting up.

"Well, there are very few people who would ever show an interest in raising a Dragon, or are able to handle a Dragon, even a baby one," Elijah said. "There are a few requirements, we look for those who are good with Magical Creatures for a start."

"I'm good," Charlie replied. "So, what's life like on a Dragon reserve?"

"Dangerous, busy. We get burnt a lot. It also takes a few wizards to control just one Dragon, but they are amazing. They are beautiful creatures. So, did you find the little guy?"

Charlie hesitated.

"You won't get into trouble," Elijah replied. "I just want to know so we can look for more in the area."

"In... in Scotland, we found the egg by itself," Charlie said. "Me and my friend were at Galloway Forest Park."

"So you didn't find a Dragon, you found the egg too?" Elijah asked.

When Charlie nodded, Elijah looked impressed. "You kept the egg warm enough, you hatched a Dragon and you kept him fed and looked after. That's impressive. I'll tell you what. I'll send updates to your parents about Chunky, and if you want more information on becoming a Dragonologist yourself, you just send me an owl."

Charlie nodded eagerly, thinking about caring for Dragons and realising how every thought about every other career never sounded appealing. "What qualifications would I need?"

Elijah chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Speak to Professor McGonagall, she'll set you on the right path. If you do follow this through, I look forward to working with you in the future."

With that, Elijah scooped up the Dragon, placing him carefully into a cage, and with a nod to the rest of the waiting Weasley's, they headed away with Chunky.

Charlie watched them leave, knowing that in a few years, he'd see Chunky again.

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><p><strong>1513 word count<strong>

**Review please :)**


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